A Past Forgotten
by Lady Destiny
Summary: The 'Prequel' to THE ROGUE. You don't really have to read it to understand. A deeper look into what happened during Marie's captivity, and who she met.
1. Prologue

****

A Past Forgotten

Author's Note: Hey! It's me again! As I said, I was going to do a 'prequel' to The Rogue, it looks further into the 10 years that she had to live through. I make strange titles… I just realized that… Oh, in this story it's somewhat Romance/Angst as well… its going to be a sad ending, but it'll tie up to THE ROGUE, which is its sequel, sort of…

Disclaimer's Note: Unless I'm one of the Marvel creators I don't own X-Men, X-Men the movie DVD maybe, but not the X-Men! ^-^

=====================================

Rejection, pain, and confusion, when brought together could turn out to be one of the most deadly combinations. Marie could barely breathe as she woke up in a cold, uninviting cell. It was larger than her previous bedroom, but that didn't make her any less afraid. 

__

'What happened?' she asked herself as she hugged her knees close towards her body, rocking back and forth, trying to subdue the throbbing pain in the back of her neck. 

Tears streamed down her porcelain face as she slowly recalled the happenings a few nights back. 'I-I killed Cody…' she thought. 

Cody Robbins was her best friend. Her only friend. Now he was lying in the hospital, in a coma that she had caused. She was a mutant, nothing more than a freak. That thought left a bitter taste in her mouth. The temperature dropped, as if someone had turned on the air-conditioning. 

She shivered slightly, realizing that she wasn't wearing a single stitch of clothing. Her arms were bruised and cut as if she had been beaten, but she had no recollection of being abused. 

All she remembered was her graduation, the promise kiss that sealed her deal with Cody. 

__

'It's nullified now' she thought bitterly, knowing Cody's family disapproved of mutants as well. The world knew of the rising population of mutants and they were feared. Mutants were destructive and were spawns of the devil.

__

'So… am I a devil as well?' Marie asked, knowing she wasn't. 

Marie let her hair cover her face as she rested her chin on her knees. What had happened after the kiss? Marie recalled her 'parents' barging in the room, seeing Cody writhing on the floor with his veins visible on his face. Her 'father' had dragged her off of her bed and pushed her out the doors. 

Her mother was crying, begging her 'father' not to push her away. But no… Marie had been banished, never to be part of their family. She was no longer a D'Ancanto. She was a rogue. 

Her cell door opened to reveal a tall brown-haired man. He smiled at her, but Marie could tell that the smile was cruel and it didn't quite reach his eyes. 

" Hello my dear, welcome to my Genetic Mutation Forensic Research Lab, better known as Area 42."

==========================================================

****

Author's Note: sigh. The prequel has begun! Bwahahahahah, and yes, Gambit IS in the story. Didn't I say that somewhat? But be prepared okay? Please… no flames… If you don't like the story, just don't read it… 

****


	2. Gambit

****

Past Forgotten

Author's Note: Sorry for the long wait... I had to make up my outline for this story, just so it actually goes with the 'sequel'. And yes, this is a Gambit/Rogue. But as you know, it doesn't end up being that, so please don't be very disappointed at the ending.

WARNING: this is a long story, and there WILL be character death, violence, rape, and swearing. Some chapters may be more graphic than others. You have been warned. There are hints of sex, and the graphic parts are just teasers. Keep it mind... this is STILL RATED R!

And in case you've forgotten, I don't own the X-Men you've got the people at MARVEL to thank for that ^^!

=============================================

Red on black eyes gazed intently at the naked woman sobbing in the screen. His heart constricted in pain, hating his line of work. It always made him feel like a monster.

'Fit'in'' he thought bitterly, lighting his fourth cigarette of the day. 'Already look de part...'

He flinched as the woman began to scream in pain. He knew what she was going through, he had gone through the whole ordeal himself. He fingered the scar on the nape of his neck, the sign of his eternal ties to **area 42**.

Gambit.

That was the name given to him by the bastards in what he lovingly called the 'hell-hole'. Sighing, he ran his fingers through his unruly auburn hair. As much as he hated it, he was stuck working in the secret base. 

Him. Remy Lebeau, who used to be New Orleans' own 'White Devil'. He had the skill to steal anything; from the world's most expensive treasures, to the innocence of unknowing women. He was talented, and his father, Jean-Luc Lebeau treasured him for it. 

"Hey, Gambit!"

A feminine voice called out from behind him, waking him from the ghosts of his past. Smirking arrogantly, he swerved his chair, and turned towards the woman. He smiled as he saw her attire. 

It was one of the scientists that worked on the program. She was the first person he had made contact with after he had been sent to Area 42. Her attitude towards him had surprised him at first, but he soon got used to it, and came to enjoy their time together. 

"Ah, Jeanette, p'tite," he said huskily, opening his arms to the woman. She sat on his lap, and wrapped her arms around him. "What do Gambit owe dis visit?"

The raven-haired woman smiled seductively and began to run her hands over his finely chiseled chest. She took off her white jacket, revealing the silk shirt, and black skirt she had on. She took off her heeled shoes, and her glasses, allowing Gambit to gaze into her soft blue eyes. 

"It's been a week, you know me," she said, leaning towards his neck. "I've been missing a taste of the bayou."

Gambit groaned as the woman placed her knees between his legs, teasing his growing manhood. She untied the bun that kept her raven hair up, letting it flow on her back. Remy sat back, and watched as she began to slowly unbutton her shirt.

Her clothes were soon pooling around her, and she stood before Remy in the small video room. They didn't worry about being caught, knowing that the room was strictly off limits to anyone without a card. 

Jeanette captured Remy's mouth in a hungry kiss, and began to unzip his pants. She had waited long enough, and she needed him. 

About four years ago, she had befriended the handsome devil. Never in a million lifetimes did she think of doing such things with him, but now she craved for him. He was good, and he satisfied her every needs. As she unzipped his pants, the phone rang.

She growled as Remy gently pushed her off, and answered the red phone. 

"'Allo?" he said in a calm tone.

It always amazed Jeanette, how the boy could seem like nothing had just happened. It was what made the relationship work so well. They didn't look conspicuous. 

"Oui, Mr. DeVillago," she heard him reply. "On my way."

She frowned, knowing she wouldn't have any fun tonight. She watched as he hung up, and she began to pick up her clothes. 

"Who told y' t' dress?" he said huskily. 

With wide eyes, Jeanette squealed as he lunged at her. She didn't think it was possible. She watched as he left after a few minutes, collected and calm. He closed the door, leaving her with a wink. She laid back down on the cold marble floor. 

"That," she gasped out loud. "Had to be the best five minutes of my life..."

=================================================

Marie woke up to find herself strapped to a table. Confused and panicked, she began to thrash against her straps. 

"What's going on?!" she yelled at the room, knowing someone must be watching. 

The room she was in looked like an ordinary operating room, only instead of doctors, it was filled with machines, knives, drills, and countless dime-like objects.

"Do be still, it will hurt less this way" 

Marie looked around nervously, and found the speaker on the right corner of the room. Before she could say anything, something had been jabbed on her neck, shooting unimaginable pain throughout her body. She began to convulse in pain. 

Her hearing became slack, but she knew that she was screaming. Tears began to sting her eyes, and she sobbed, wondering what she had done in the past to deserve torment.

" **Don't worry, this will all be over soon**"

She cursed at whoever was at the end of the speaker, and swore to get revenge. When the pain finally subsided, her vision was already cloudy, and her muscles were weak. She felt the bed switch from its position, and turn upright. Too weak to hold her head upright, it bowed due to the weight. Her arms were slack, and she couldn't feel her legs.

"...girl...147...super-strength...Danvers"

Marie couldn't hear the entire conversation, since the ringing in her ears wouldn't seem to halt. Giving into her weariness, she closed her eyes and rested. She prayed to God that she would wake up and find herself back home.

===========================================================

****

Author's Note: Wow... tough eh? I'll make the next chapter longer, don't flame me, okay? Seriously, you ain't got nothing of use to say, don't say it at all.


	3. Cecila

****

A Past Forgotten

Author's Note: Remember me? Yes, I'm alive... PLEASE DON'T KILL ME! Okay, I admit, that last cliff was evil of me... but I won't leave another cliffie... that's that major. Hey, everyone does it, okay? I'm just a bit more forgetful than most people.

I STILL need that reviewer! Anyone interested in yelling at me for a full week just to make me continue writing?

Random Comment: Place five dimes (10 cents) in a circular shape... I say circular because its not possible to truly make it a circle. Anyway! Attempt to make a heads-tails pattern with the dimes. Getting frustrated yet?

Those of you who made that pattern with ease either have to a) put the dimes in a 'circle' or b) recheck the pattern.

============================================

Gambit calmly made his way towards the observation deck, knowing his employer would be in there. He sighed, wondering what he was needed for. Being a slave to a strange genetic research facility wasn't exactly his forte. As the doors opened, his eyes became wide with horror.

He should be used to the sight of his own species being tortured just for the sake of science... but he just couldn't harden his heart enough to feel passive.

Judging by her appearance, the girl was no younger than him. About seventeen or eighteen, maybe nineteen max. It pained him to see another victim in his employer's sick facility.

"Ah Gambit, good to see you've arrived."

He turned to face the owner of the deep voice, and was eye-level to a man in his early thirties. He had dark brown hair, and brown eyes that seemed to hide a big secret. He wasn't exactly was Gambit would have categorized as 'muscled', but he knew the man was strong enough to break most of his ribs.

"M. DeVillago," Gambit greeted monotonously, nodding politely, though inside he was seething with anger. "Dere a job y' need me t' do?"

DeVillago nodded, and turned back to the plexi-glass. Gambit took a deep breath, and did the same. They watched as doctors wheeled in another girl into the room. Gambit watched as the two-tone haired girl was continuously beaten.

"What's de point o' bruisin' de _fille_?" Gambit inquired, not enjoying the silence in the dark room. "Gambit t'ought dat y' be experimentin' on her?"

A deep, throaty chuckle filled the once silent room. Chills of foreboding ran down Gambit's spine.

"Keep watching 147, my boy," DeVillago replied.

The men left the girl alone in the cold room. She crawled towards the far corner, and began to cough blood. Gambit winced, seeing green and purple blotches all over her small frame.

Through the same doors the guards went through, men wearing white suits dragged another woman inside the girl's cell. Gambit assumed they were also doctors. They had brought in with them a brunette woman who looked to be about ten years older than who DeVillago numbered '147'.

"Cecilia Blanche," Gambit whispered, remembering the woman's face in one of the files he had reviewed.

DeVillago nodded. "Yes, or number 25."

She was one of the earlier mutants taken for their powers. Hers was one of the frequently seen mutations. She took on animalistic attributes, one of which were her stunning cat-eyes. As with other animal-like mutants, Cecilia was also a fast healer.

Gambit felt bile rise in his throat. No one below the 50s were ever recorded to be kept alive for so long. He had a sneaky suspicion that she wasn't going to live for far longer.

'Jus' hope Remy won' have t' be nex'...' he thought.

He continued to watch, and noticed that DeVillago had a small rectangular object in his hand. As Cecilia stirred, DeVillago had pressed one of the device's many buttons.

===========================================

Marie woke up to find herself back in her dark cell. She tried to stand, only to find that her body had fallen asleep. As time passed, she tried again, only to feel the sensation of tiny needles prickling her skin.

When she was back in high school, she often felt them after going through school assemblies, but it was usually only her feet. But now that her whole body was 'waking up', the pain was unimaginable.

She moaned in pain, as she finally sat upright. Suddenly, two men came through a door that she hadn't even noticed until then. The men wore attire similar to that of the SWAT team, only they lacked the hats and guns. They walked towards her with malicious smiles on their faces.

"Wh-what are ya doin'?" she asked, her voice hoarse from lack of use. They kept advancing, and one of the two revealed a large bat from behind his back. Her eyes went wide with fear. "N-no... pl-please d-don't!"

She clenched her eyes shut, and began to pray. Tears sprang in her eyes as the first blow came in contact with her back. She bit her lip to prevent herself from yelling out loud. No matter how hard they hit, she would not give them the satisfaction of hearing her scream.

Marie could feel her bones crack, blow after blow. They had made an effort to keep from hitting her head, but they had no qualms about the rest of her body. One of the guards hoisted her up and began to punch her stomach as the other began to practice baseball with her legs.

It seemed like hours before it all ended. The pain was mind-numbing. She didn't want to move, but she needed to sit. Despite the pain she was in, she reached forward, and began to drag herself towards the corner. Ignoring the pain in both of her legs, she sat in the corner, hissing in pain as her back came in contact with the wall.

Something warm was trickling down her throat, and she assumed she had salivated on herself. Once again, she ignored the pain and wiped it off with her arm. As she put her arm down, she noticed that it was blood.

She had nearly bitten off her lower lip.

Marie closed her eyes as tears threatened to fall. It wouldn't do her any good to cry. She wasn't in a dream. It was real, and she was going to die in a place she didn't recognize, not knowing why.

Suddenly, another pair of men came through the doors. Marie didn't bother opening her eyes. She heard footsteps advancing, and something being dragged. Then the footsteps became more distant, and she heard the door close once more.

"You must be 147, _hein_?" Marie heard a soft voice say.

She opened her eyes and found a pair of green cat-eyes staring at her bruised body. The woman before her had long, curly chestnut hair, which kept her breasts covered. Her nails were long, and seemed to Marie to be cat-like. They were sharp, and dark.

" I'm 25... I've been here for so long, I've already forgotten my name," the woman said softly. "What's your name?"

Marie took a deep breath. "Marie D'ancanto," she whispered jaggedly, the pain in her ribs preventing her from saying any more.

Cecile looked at Marie with pity. "I'm sorry I have to do this, Marie... but I'm so desperate to leave..."

Cecile advanced on Marie, holding out her hands. Marie closed her eyes and raised her arms, vainly trying to defend herself. The woman grabbed Marie's arms, ready to tear it off, but nothing happened.

Marie could feel something strange happening in her body. She saw flashes of memories that she knew were not hers. She saw herself in a competition in Paris, having odd jobs to get sufficient rent money...

Something was wrong and Marie knew it. Cecile watched in horror as she felt her life being drained from her. She tried to let go of the girl, but her hands wouldn't comply with her commands. She saw her veins on her arms, and her mouth was formed into a silent scream.

Before she blacked out, Cecile smiled, knowing she would no longer have to stay in the facility.

'The doctors didn't lie after all...' she thought. 'Bastards'

Marie could feel her tears streaming down her face. She wasn't in pain, but she could feel Cecile's sadness. She could remember her memories, and her pain as the doctors tortured her for nearly four years. And she cried, knowing she would have to go through what Cecile had to go through.

Cecile's hold on her loosened, and Marie knew that the woman was dead. She didn't have to be a doctor to know that.

'I'm sorry, Cecile,' Marie thought, feeling guilty for taking someone's life.

But another voice replied in her mind.

**Don't feel guilty, sweet... It was my fault for believing them... I should be apologizing to you for trying to take your life**

'Cecile?' Marie thought, in both wonder and fright. She expected an answer, but nothing came. She was alone once more in the cell, with the body of a woman she had just absorbed. 'What is happening to me?'

=============================================

****

Author's Note: I changed a few things... Marie knows she a mutant... but she doesn't know her powers truly yet. I mean, in the movie I was surprised that she wasn't confused about her powers.

She had only absorbed the guy once, and suddenly she knew what she did? I don't think so. Sorry for the late update. I don't want to botch it up. I want to make this a memorable fic... which I hope will be up to both my standards and yours.

TBC


	4. Area 42

**Past Forgotten  
  
Author's Note: Long wait, I know, but I got free time in computer class... my batteries ran out, and I had no intention of studying without music... my friend introduced me to an AWESOME song.... Its so funny, I can't help but be obsessed.  
  
Anywho, enjoy!  
  
===============================================  
  
**Days passed by, but to Marie, it felt as if time was at a stand-still. Hours seemed like minutes, and minutes, hours. It really didn't matter much to her. All she could comprehend, was the fact that there was a woman dead, and she was the cause. Her hands, to her seemed as though they were caked with blood. She constantly washed them in the small sink provided for her, but they still felt unclean.  
  
Whenever she fell asleep, she was haunted by nightmares. Most of her sleeping hours was spent tossing and turning. The pain she felt, was unimaginable. Fire consumed her being; memories and voices kept replaying in her head.  
  
There was a tiny flame of hope inside her, that Cecile would make it through. And her dreams would continue, and become reality. Cecile had the most beautiful dreams that Marie had ever seen. It didn't feel right to intrude into other people's personas, but Marie had no control over what she did at the moment.  
  
She watched as Cecile grew up, the top of her Harvard Law class. Her dreams of raising a large family, with a perfect husband had inspired Cecile to succeed in every obstacle that Cecile had to go through. But at the moment, Marie only had one question that kept repeating itself.  
  
Would Cecile make it through this time?  
  
Tears stung Marie's eyes. What was happening to her? She had a good life, loving parents, good friends, and now everything seemed to crumble. Her father had disowned her, and her boyfriend might never wake up from an unnatural coma. As for her friends, it seemed that they had abandonned her during the most crucial moment in her life.  
  
"I wonder how long I've been here?" she whispered to herself, her voice hoarse from lack of use.  
  
Her accent had disappeared due to the new psyche in her mind. It was strange to hear herself speak without her southern accent, but she was learning to live without it. If her assumption was correct, she would have to adapt to every person that she might have to absorb.  
  
Cecile's memories had given Marie a look into what was going on around her. Area 42 was a 'genetic research facility', which was code for 'mutant holding camp'. Scientists had just slapped on a long name, insisted that it was a research facility, and they successfully got away with a government funded death camp.  
  
"When am I going to leave?" she whispered to herself.  
  
-----------------------------------------------------------------

From behind a tinted window, Remy lit a cigarette and took a long drag.  
  
"Desole, ma Chere, mais once y' enter, y' never leave."

He took a long look at the girl before him, and felt his heart constrict in his chest. She looked so terrified, and so innocent.

Not like the other female mutants Devillago had dragged in. This girl was barely even a woman.

Remy sighed, hating himself for what he was about to do. As time ticked by, he realized that the girl would soon be subjected to another round of experiments.

Whispering a short prayer, he turned around and began to walk down the research area's seemingly empty hallways. He had learned long before that even the walls were alive, and wherever he went, he was never _truly_ alone.

'_Mon Dieu'_ he thought, as his mind wandered back to his recent assignment. He didn't really want to hurt the girl, hell, before he had been captured, he was considered 'God's gift to women'.

But as he trudged towards the exit of the facility, he wondered why DeVillago wanted so many mutant women. Area 42 was full of mutants, but there were more women than men.

Could it be possible that he was breeding mutants to create a weapon? Or was he just sadistic?

'Whateve' th' reason, Remy don' like it'.

**========================================**

**Author's Note: Yeah, It's pretty short. But I'll update sooner to make up for it. Just remind me to update daily. I think I won't have a chance to forget. **

****

**TBC**


End file.
